<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
The Surah takes its name from the very first verse <em>Wan shaqq al-Qamar</em>,
thereby implying that it is a Surah in which the word al-Qamar has
occurred.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
The incident of the <em>shaqq-al-Qamar</em> (splitting of the moon) that has
been mentioned in it, determines its period of revelation precisely.
The traditionists and commentators are agreed that this incident took
place at Mina in Makkah about five years before the Holy Prophet's
<em>hijrah</em> to Madinah.
</p>
<h2>Theme and Subject Matter</h2>
<p>
In this Surah the disbelievers of Makkah have been warned for their
stubbornness which they had adopted against the invitation of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The amazing and
wonderful phenomenon of the splitting of the Moon was a manifest sign
of the truth that the Resurrection, of which the Holy Prophet was
giving them the news, could take place and that it had approached near
at hand. The great sphere of the Moon had split into two distinct
parts in front of their very eyes. The two parts had separated and
receded so much apart from each other that to the on-lookers one part
had appeared on one side of the mountain and the other on the other
side of it. Then, in an instant the two had rejoined. This was a
manifest proof of the truth that the system of the Universe was
neither eternal nor immortal, it could be disrupted. Huge stars and
Planets could split asunder, disintegrate, collide with each other,
and everything that had been depicted in the Quran In connection with
the description of the details of Resurrection, could happen. Not only
this : it was also a portent that the disintegration of the system of
the Universe had begun and the time was near when Resurrection would
take place. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) invited the people's attention to this event only with this
object in view and asked them to mark it and be a witness to it. But
the disbelievers described it as a magical illusion add persisted in
their denial. For this stubbornness they have been reproached in this
Surah. 
</p>
<p>
At the outset it has been said: "These people neither believe in
the admonition, nor learn a lesson from history, nor affirm faith
after witnessing manifest signs with their eyes. Now they would
believe only when Resurrection has taken place and they would be
rushing out of their graves towards the Summoner on that Day." 
</p>
<p>
Then,
the stories of the people of Noah and of 'Ad and Thamud and of the
peoples of Lot and the Pharaoh have been related briefly and they have
been reminded of the terrible punishments that these nations suffered
when they belied and disregarded the warnings given by the Prophets of
God. After the narration of each story the refrain that has been
provided is : "This Qur'an is an easy means of admonition, which if a
nation takes to heart and thereby takes the Right Way, the torment
that descended on the former nations could be avoided. But it would
indeed be a folly if instead of heeding the admonition through this
easy means, one persisted in heedlessness and disbelieved until one
was overtaken by the torment itself." 
</p>
<p>
Likewise, after citing
admonitory precedents from the history of the former nations, the
disbelievers of Makkah have been addressed and warned to this effect:
"If you too adopt the same attitude and conduct for which the other
nations have already been punished, why will you not be punished for
it?Are you in any way a superior people that you should be treated
differently from others? Or, have you received a deed of amnesty that
you will not be punished for the crime for which others have been
punished?And if you feel elated at your great numbers, you will soon
see that these very numbers of yours are put to rout (on the
battlefield) and on the Day of Resurrection you will be dealt with
even more severely." 
</p>
<p>
In the end, the disbelievers have been told that
Allah does not need to make lengthy preparations to bring about
Resurrection. No sooner does He give a simple command for it than it
will take place immediately. Like everything else the Universe and
mankind also have a destiny. According to this destiny everything
happens at its own appointed time. It cannot be so that whenever
somebody gives a challenge, Resurrection is brought about in order to
convince him. If you adopt rebellion because you do not see it coming,
you will only be adding to your own distress and misfortune. For your
record which is being prepared by Divine agents, has not left any
misdeed of yours, great or small, unrecorded.
</p>

